These past two years have played havoc on everyone. Those of us who are members of a ministry can tell you that not being able to meet in person for church services has been a tough go. As restrictions loosen and more and more things open up, there begins a long road back to what we thought was normal. Our ministry group usually gathers at a local funeral chapel, and due to provincial guidelines, we are still on hold to meet. We know that there will be a time where we can gather to celebrate Jesus, and to be together as a complete faith family again. For now, we are business as the new normal by online messages by our pastor, bible study, weekly written messages and even a scripture for each day, all by way of social media. It is working and we are thankful for that.
That being said, our congregation is another two years older and some have gone onto Heaven. A few of us meet when we can to stay in old voice so when we meet again, the worship will even more special than before. We are all doing what we can to stay plugged into each other, and to God, but there is still something missing. That missing element is live fellowship. We are realizing more and more just how much we need God. That one-on-one experience of being together in church has such a healing and uplifting quality that just cannot be replaced. We are hoping that absence does truly make the heart grow fonder as we look forward to the day when we can drop the masks and offer the hugs without fear. Some may argue that covid is just one of those things we will have to live with. Well, I can respect that point of view, yet scripture tells us to use the wisdom that God gave us, along with the knowledge of those we trust. That combination will allow us to regain some lost time and ground as we get ready to get our faith boots back on the ground.
I do applaud those congregations that are meeting responsibly, as they know the joy of in person fellowship as it should be. Our ministry has no owned meeting place and I’ve even been told that we are a church without a steeple. That is true, but Jesus never had a steeple or even a place to call home. Where we gather is not as important as when we gather, so many groups like ours have been in good company all along. We are free of earthly responsibilities of a building, and that allows us to pour our tithes and offerings into our community as needed. We have been blessed by a group of volunteers who use our time, treasures, and talents to bring glory to the Father. Do we need Him? Oh yes, more than anything. As we come into the third year of this thing called a pandemic, we will continue to do what we can, and will always look to the future when we can gather in person, sing to the King, and hug each other with reckless abandonment. That time is coming, soon we hope.
Until then, I encourage everyone to stay connected with your faith family. Don’t allow yourself to drop of the faith radar, as it is very easy to do these days. Maintain your financial faithfulness as you can, stay in the word and don’t allow the world to pull you into the rat race. I need Him, you need Him, we all need God, so remember He is as close as the whisper of His name. Until we all meet again, let’s keep on needing Him. Soon we will get to celebrate in person, and what a day that will be.
Mike Shindruk
Master’s Hand Ministry
http://mastershandministry.blogspot.com/
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